Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Medicine Student towards Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19)

Background: The emerging respiratory disease is caused by the novel type of corona virus which is named as COVID-19. This respiratory illness has received internal attention and it is categorized as highly threaten disease in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of undergraduate medical students towards COVID-19. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was used to assess knowledge, practice and attitudes of 255 undergraduate medical students towards COVID-19. Study participants were recruited from the Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences between April and August 2020. Results: The results of study participants showed that undergraduate medical students had moderate knowledge towards COVID-19 (Mean=20.54, SD ± 4.67). Also, participants had high level of knowledge regarding nature of diseases and precautionary measures by health care providers dimensions. However, they expressed limited knowledge towards mode of transmission. Moreover, study participants demonstrated an optimistic attitude toward disease as the average 43.78 and good practice towards COVID-19 (average 18.67). Conclusions: The study results revealed that study participants demonstrated good knowledge with favorable and accepted practice. This study suggests the importance of emphasis on infectious disease in medical curriculum.